Looking for dramatic russian war films
I remember liking Stalingrad, but it’s much more conventional than the first two you mention.
Larisa Shepitko’s The Ascent.
JD, that looks interesting. I just added it to my Q.
Andrei Rublev
I win
^ That’s going to be my last Tarkovsky. Won’t be long now.
But don’t think that Andrei Rublev actually is a Russian war film…it’s much more!
It isn’t. But I think we can call “Aleksandar Nevsky” a Russian war film.
Aleksandr Sokurov’s TETROLOGY TRILOGY…modern take on the war business :)
No Greater Love (Fridrikh Ermler, 1943)
The Cranes Are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957)
Destiny of a Man (Sergei Bondarchuk, 1959)
Liberation (Yuri Ozerov & Julius Kun, 1969)
The Dawns Here are Quiet (Stanislav Rostotsky, 1972)
Twenty Days Without a War (Aleksei German, 1976)
Are you looking for a WWII? Or WWI? How about the Civil War in the early 1920s?
Apursansar’s list plus:
Two Soldiers ( Leonid Lukov, 1943)
Dark Is the Night ( Boris Barnet, 1945)
Belorusski Vokzal ( Andrei Smirnov, 1970)
V boy idut odni stariki (Leonid Bykov, 1973)
They Fought for Their Country (Sergei Bondarchuk, 1975)
Doesn’t get any more dramatic than Bondarchuk’s War and Peace.
Trial of the Road.
More recent ones including the heavy handed Taras Bulba (2009) and the wonderful Russian television adaption of Doctor Zhivago (2006).
If you like Ballad of a Soldier look for Chukrai’s other great film of the 1950s, The Forty-First.
I’m always surprised very few people ever mention this title — is it just not well known? It’s an amazing film.
It’s going to be a very long list. We, the Russians, have had a lot of wars to cover. In light of Christopher’s comment, it’s almost better to go by director. Especially, with people, like Bondarchuk,who made a career out of creating sweeping battle scenes. Then you have German, who is all about the internal conflict. But do pick your war first.
i HIGHLY recommend October: The Ten Days That Shook The World by eisenstein. that movie is frantic and intense!!
Yes, Larisa Shepitko’s The Ascent is a master-master-masterpiece. One of my top twenty films of all time. I can’t recommend it enough.
I will also reccomend The Ascent although, sadly I only got to see 2/3’s or so of it but it was just so good. I need to buy it asap
Aleksandr Askoldov’s one and only film: Komissar
Also Soy Cuba by Mikhail Kalatozov – not a war film, but well worth seeing
Absolutely, Komissar! Although it’s more an ANTI-war film, than a war film. It’s a masterpiece worth seeing, just like The Ascent. Both, actually are unusually very open about their religious influences, a rare thing in Soviet cinema. Also, “Father of a Soldier” Rezo Chkheidze, 1964. “Farewell, Boys” M. Kalik also 1964. If we are talking about the Civil War then “Two friends were serving”, S. Karelov, 1968. Chechen war – “War” Aleksey Balabanov, 2002.
Although it takes place just prior to WW II and deals with Stalin’s purges, I think Mikhalkov’s Burnt By the Sun belongs on this list. It is as seering in its own way (to me at least) as Come and See. A powerful work of Russian cinema that belongs with many of the works mentioned here – imo. A complex and disturbing film of betrayal and reversal of power, with a high sense of drama and suspense. Wonderful acting, cinematography, and haunting score by Artemyev. Emotionally draining – just like Come and See.
Andrei Rublev doesn’t apply here, as the two key words in the topic are “Russian” and “war”.
The Tarkovsky film that would apply here is My Name Is Ivan. I win, what’s the prize?
Here’s an irreverent bitter-sweet look at the Chechen war:
I still need to see that one. Konchalovsky’s earlier The Inner Circle is as well worth a watch, it also covers the years of the Soviet-German War.
chikenbaby
I thought Come and See was fantastic, Ivan’s Childhood was great, Ballad of a Soldier was pretty good too, any other recommendations for Russian war films, Russ films seem to be so much more real/vivid/dramatic/surreal than that of any other country producing these types of films.
Any recommendations?
:)